Disintegrating mill



Aug. 9, 1932. s. K. NESTER DISINTEGRATING MILL Original Filed Sept. 29,1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l vi y k 0 7 1...!...... W m 5 Z 2 r! 1 M MW WWW g-9, 1932- s. K. NESTER 1,871,127

DIS INTEGRATING MILL Original Filed Sept. 29. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Aug. 9, 1932 si f SAMUEL K. NESTER, or GENEVA, NEW YORK,AssieNoa'nY ransnnnssreniannrs, To

FREDERICK JOHN, EDWIN CHINA, AND

OF LONDON, ENGLAND msnvrnenerrne MILL Application filed September 29,1924, Serial 170.7%,650; Renewed August 8,1930. Y

My invention relates to disintegrating mills, and more particularly tothe type of mill having relatively smooth spaced surfaces adapted tomove past each other at a hi 'h velocity, and in which liquid withparticles, liquid or solid, suspended therein is disintegrated in thethin film between the working surfaces.

In the type of mill in commercial use, the outlet is located at the apexof the angle formed by the sloping inner walls or spillways of theoutlet chamber. Each sloping wall or spill-way covers approximatelyhalfof the bottom of theoutput chamber. The liquid material in the mill isgiven a high velocity of rotation, and it was found that this causedcollection of treated material in the chamber above the rotor of themill, so that the materials, whether thin or viscous, did noteasilyevacuate. The power consumption was found to be greater thanmathematical computations would lead one to believe to be necessary. r

The difiiculty .of evacuating the output chamber and consequentpiling upof treated liquid in the chamber above the rotor, I have discovered tobe the principal source of the power losses. Moreover, the back pres-'sure of the chamber above the'rotor caused the treated liquid with thesuspended particles therein to be forced up the rotor shaft and into theball bearings, this, oftencaused the ball hearings to be ruined,necessitating repairing and replacement.

Experiment showed that the high circular motion in the output chamber ofthis type of mill caused the materials, either light or viscous to beswept over the outlet'pipe and strike the reversely inclined surfa'ceonthe opposite side, and by that surface to be carried up towards thedome. These materials because of the further upward impetus imparted bythe reversely inclined surfaces continue to whirl around in a circularmotion in the top part of the dome; The direction of motion, of course,is the sameas that of the rotor. Any air in the output chamber is forcedout through the exit pipe, allowing more material to replace the; airexpelled, and

this action very soon caused the entire output chamber to be filled withwhirling liquid.

A great increase of power is necessary to perform'thework, largelybecause of the friction of the liquid on the top of the-rotor..

An actual test showed that in a very short run materials would rise outof a tube'or BURT, BOULTON c HAYWOOD, LIMITED,

pipe set vertically in one of the port hole caps in the cover. The"height to which the materials would rise depended of course uponoperating conditions.

An object of this invention is to reduce the amount of power necessaryto operate'a disintegrating mill of thetype described. a

. Another object of this invention is to prevent accumulation of treatedmaterial in the I [output chamber A further object of this invention isto prevent'material from getting into the ball bearings supporting therotor shaft.-

Another object of this invention is to provide for preventing splashingof material on to the'uppersurface ofthe rotor. 7

Another object of my invention is to provide the means of theintroduction of air into the material in the cutout chamber thuspreventing vacuum or back pressure.

Yet another ob ect of my invention is to show a construction whereinmaterials will not be accumulated in the input pipe, thus preventingtheir settling.

With these and other objects in view which essary elements comprising myinvention,

may be varied inconstruction, proportions, and arrangement, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

In order to make my invention more clearly understoodfl have shown 1nthe accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practicaleffect, without llrnlting the mprovements in their useful apphcations tothe particular constructions, which for. the purpose ofexplanation, havebeen made the subject of illustration.

In the drawings: Figure-1 IS a longitudinal sectlonal view taken throughthe axis of the shaft of the mill. 7 V Fig. 2 is a View in sideelevation of the lower portion of the output chamber ShOV'.

ing the position of the baffle plate and inclined surfaces in dottedlines. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the lower easting of the outputchamber such being a section of the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View showing in detail the positionof the baifle plate.

Referring to the drawings for detail de-' scription I have shown themill having a bean ing supporting structure or spider 1 in which ismounted a lower bearing f the mill, in which latter is j ournaled arotor shaft 3. The

supporting-spider is screw threaded at 4 to,

receive screw threaded adjusting member that carries the upper bearing 61n which the shaft 3 ofthe mill rotates.

' The position of the shaft 3 is determined by adjusting the adjustingmember '5 which carries with it the shaft 3. To aid in adjusting, member5 is provided with micrometer markings (not shown) which co-operate witha pointer 7, to enable theoperator to accu rately adjust the positiono-fthe shaft3.

Mounted at thelower end of the shaft 3 is a rotor- 8, having a frustroconical working surface .9,'a.nd a horizontally projecting lip 10. Therotor 8 is held on the shaft 3 by the I --The supporting spider l is'provided with an annular flange 12 which forms with the supportingspider an annular shoulder 13. A cover 14 is providedwith an annularshoulder 15 adapted to fit into the annular shoulder 13 on thesupporting spider 1. Bolts 16 hold the supporting spider in place on thecover. An

annular concave depression 17 is formedon the inside of the cover 14.The interior edge of this annular concave depression is approximatelyopposite the upper edge of the working surface 9 of the'rotor'8.

Adjacent to the top of the rotor 8 the cover 14 is provided with aclosely fitting portion 18 lying adjacent to the top surface of therotor 8 and closely spaced-therefrom. lVhero the shaft 3 passes throughthe cover 14 there isprovided an annular, aperture 19,-surrounding theshaft 3 and providing an airinlet. A flange 21 around theouter peripheryof the cover 14provides meanswhereby bolts 22 may hold the cover of theoutput chamber to the base casting 23. which latter is also providedwith flanges 24 for a similar purpose.

The base casting 23 is provided with an interior portion 25, thru whichis formed an inlet duct 26 communicating with an upwardlyslanted inletpipe 27. The upper end "of the duct 26 communicates with a conicalintake chamber 28, terminating at its upper end in a smoothfrustro-comcal working surface 29 adapted to he ad acent to the work- Ing surface 9 of the rotor 8. The working surface 29 is stationary, andthe material fed into the input chamber 28 is adapted to be fed in athin film between the rotating working surface 9, and the stationaryworking surface 29. hen high velocity is given to the rotor 8 by meansof a pulley 31 mounted on the shaft 3 or by any other suitable means,disruptive ,forces are generated in the filmofliquid eX-J isting'between the. stationary and rotating working surfaces.

Integrally formed with the base casting 23 is a spirally inclined web orsupport 32, whose upper end 33 is approximately level with the dischargeend of the stator and rotor working surfaces, and whose lower end 34 les M113.

cent anupper end of the outlet duct- 35 formed in the casting 23;Joining the upper edge 33 ofthespiral inclined surface 32 with theopposite upper end of the output duct-35 is a concave baffle plate 36,which overhangr the. outlet 35'and downwardly slopes to the outlet. Thisbaffle plate directs theltreated liquid into the outlet and prevents itsfurther rotationaround the output chamber of the mill,

In operation the material to be treated is fed in through inlet pipe 27whose downward slant is made possible by introducing it through thecasting 23 at a point adjacent chamber-28where it is fed out through thefilm existing between the stator surface 29 and the rotor surface '9. Byreason of the close proximity of the surfa'ces and the velocity of the[rotor surface, disruptive forcer are generated in the film whichdisrupt the particles, liquid or, solid, suspended in the materialtreated.

V The lip 10 on the rotorprevents anysplaslu ing ontopjof the rotor andtends to throw the material outward horizontally. The lip,

howeven causesthe material to be discharged horizontally, and tendstoprevent piling up of material in the top of the output chamber "withconsequent back pressure and increased power losses. 6 J J Y Splashingis further prevented by the portion-18 of thecover 14 whichfitsclosely'ad- 'jacent'to the top surface of the rotor 8. Since thematerials are thrown outby the lip 10 on a horizontal plane air isforced in the same direction thus causing a vacuum at the air inlet 19,whereby air is introduced into the chamber 'containing'the' treatedmaterial; The introduced air tends to prevent vacuum in the outputchamber and acts to prevent any'materials from remaining at the top ofthe output chamber. Moreover, the rush of air around the shaft and thelower bearing tends tolkeep the lower bearing cold. Thisis of materialbenefit in those instances where hot materials are treated," since theair prevents overheating of the bearing and par,- ticularly preventsmelting out the grease. Should any treated materials ever back up theywill appear through the air opening 19,

and the faulty operation of'themill will be.

drawings, the rotor is adapted to rotate in The mclmed counter-clockwisedirection. surface leads or guides the rotatin g material dischargedfrom the mill continuously towards the outlet The baf le plate 36arrests the material in its spiral motion'and directs it through theoutlet. With the construction of the baffle plate and spirally inclinedsurface it is impossible, under. normal conditions, for any material tocomplete more than one rotation around the interior ofthe mill after ithas passed intothe outputchamher. The battle plate prevents fillingofthe chamber and consequentdamagefto the lower bearing and loss ofpower, and the comhination of the baffle plate with the spirallyinclined surface provides a more efficient means for quickly andthoroughly evacuating the output chamber. It is normally impossible fora vortex of treated material to be formed in the output chamber unlesssome such contingency occurs as actual stoppage of the outlet pipe. 7

It must be realized that air introduced into the chamber with thetreated material does not cause the material to become creamy-as is inthe case where air is introduced into the input side of themill. Thematerials in tl e output chamber when thrown on .to the sp1- rallyinclined surface cause a centrifugal air draft in the output chamberforcing air and materials down the spirally spillway, and thus thespiral surface tends to, 1ncrease the amount of air sucked-intotheoutputchamber tion herein set. forth, by 'waylof illustration,

as it is apparent that many changes and variations maybe made 'thereln,by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of theinvention, or exceeding the scope of the appended claims. I i

' l'claim: H

1. An apparatus for the disintegrationof particles, liquid or solid,suspended in a liquid, comprising closely adjacent working tween theWorking surfaces, an output cham- "I ber'havmg an outlet therein, battleplatev overhanging and downwardly sloping to the outlet to chrect thetreated material there through;

An apparatus for the disintegration oi particles, liquid. or solid,suspended in a liquid, comprising closely adjacent working surfaces,means to introduce material between the working surfaces, an outputchamber having anoutlet therein, anda baffle plate concavely' curvedoverhanging and downwardly sloping to the outlet to direct the treatedmaterial there through. I

l. An apparatus for the disintegration of particles, liquid er,solid-,susp-en'ded in a liq-- uid,comprisin g closelyadjacent'working surfaces,means to introducematerial between the working surfaces, an outputchamber having an outlet therein, sidewalls for said output chamber, aspirally inclined; surface in 5: said output chamber, and a bafile plateco operating with the spirally inclined surface to direct the treatedmaterial through the outlet. 5 V

5. An apparatus for the disintegration of particles, liquid orsolid,suspended in a liquid, comprising closely adjacent working surfaces,means to introduce material between the working surfaces, an'outputchamber having an outlet therein,;a spirally inclinedsur .1 face and'abaflle plate oined at its to): to

one edge of thein'clined'surface whereby the treated material is directd to the outlet. I 6. An apparatus for the disinte 'ratlon of particles,liquid or solid, suspended. in a liq uid, comprising closely adjacentworking surfaces, means to introduce material between the workingsurfaces, an output chamber having anoutlet therein, a spirally inclinedsurface the lower end of which terminates ad a cent the outlet,andabaffle plate curved oven hanging and downwardly sloping totheoutlet, said plate being joined'at its top edge to the upper end ofthe inclined surface. p

, 7. An, apparatus for:th-d smtegration of particles, liquid or solid,suspended in a liquid, comprising closelyadj acent working surfaces,means to introduce material between the working surfaces, an outputchamber having an outlet therein, a spirally inclined surface integrallycast with the output chamber, the lower end of which terminates adjacentthe outlet, and a concavely curved baffle plate overhanging anddownwardly sloping to the outlet integrally cast with the outputchamber. Y

8. An apparatus for disintegratin particles, liquid or solid, suspendedina liquid, comprising an output chamber, a .member. with a stationaryworking surface, a movable member with a working'surface adjacentthereto, means for introducing the liquid in a film between saidsurfaces and an outwardly extending lip on said movable member adjacentthe point of egress of. the film to pre vent backing up of said, liquidin the top of said output'chamber.

9. An apparatus for disintegrating .par

ticles, liquid or solid, suspended in a liquid,

comprising an output chamber, a member with a'stationary workingsurface, a movable member w th a working surface adjacent; thereto,means .for introduclng liquid. in a film between the said ,surfaces,andan out wardly. extending annular lip adjacent the point of egress of thefilm and carried by the movable member to prevent backing up of saidliquid in the top of said output cham her. I

10. An apparatus for disintegrating particles, liquid or solid,suspended in a liquid,

comprising an output chamber, a member with'a stationary workingsurface, a. movabler'nember with a working surface ad acent thereto,means for introducing the liquid in a film between said surfaces, andanouttioned surface, means for intro'ducing'the liquid in a'film betweensaid surfaces, and an outwardly extending annular lip attached t0 therotatablemember and overlying the end of the stationary frustro-conicalsurface whereby said liquid isprevented from piling up in the top ofsaid output chamber.

12. An apparatus for disintegratirig'particles, liquid or solid,suspended in a liquid, j comprising a member with a statlonary workingsurface, a movable member with a working surface'adj acent thereto,means for intro- 1 ducing the liquid in the film between said ticles,liquid orsolid, suspended in a having a portion closely of the rotatablemember.

1' 17. An apparatus for disintegrating parsurfaces, and a coverindependent of the stationary working surface having an annular concavedepression on the inner side thereof, the inner edge of the depressionbeing adj acent-the discharge side of the working surface.

'14. An appa atus foridisintegrating par- 7 liquid, comprising'astationary'member with a working surface, arotatable memberv with awork- 'ing surface adjacent the first mentioned surface, means forintroducing the liquid 1n a comprising a stationary member with aworking surface, a rotatable member with a. working surface adjacent thefirst mentioned surface, a cover independent of the stationary workingsurface having a concave depression on the inner side thereof into whichthe. working surfaces discharge, and having a portion closely fittingthe top side of the rotatable memberQ 16. vAn apparatus fordisintegrating particles, liquid or solid, suspended in a liquid,comprising a stationary member with a working surface, a rotatablemember with a 'working surface adjacent the first mentioned surface,acover independent of the stationary working surface-having an annulardepression onthe inner side thereof, the inner edge of the depressionbeing adjacent the discharge side of the working surfaces, and fittingthe top side ticles, liquid orsolid, suspended in a liquid,

comprising a stationary member with a workcomprising a stationary memberwith a work-' ing surface,'a rotatable member witha working surface'adjacentthe first'mentioned surface, a shaft for the rotatable member,and a cover having an air opening entirely surrounding the shaft andhaving a portion of approximately the same diameter as the top edge ofthe rotatable member and closely adjacent thereto.

19. An apparatus for disintegrating par ticles, liquid or solid,suspended in a liquid, comprising a stationary member with a workingsurface, a rotatable member with a working surface, a shaft for therotatable member,

and a cover having a portion closely fitting the top side of therotatable memberand provided with an airopening adjacent the shaft. V I

20., An apparatus for disintegrating particles, liquid ,or solid,suspended in 'a liquid, comprising a stationary member with, a workingsurface, a rotatable member with a work- 1 ing surface adjacent thefirst'mentioned surface, a shaft for the rotatable member, a coverhaving an annular depression on the 1nner side thereof, the inner edgeof the depression being adjacent the discharge side of the i workingsurface, said cover having a portion closely fitting the top side of therotatpassing between the rotor and stator surfaces therewith.

24. A disintegrating apparatus compris ing a stator surfacecommunicating with in let and outlet chambers, a rotor operating ad-rjacent the stator surface, having one face exposed to the inlet chamber,and means to direct a currentof air radially over the other face of therotor; to prevent contact of the material passing between the rotor andstator surfaces therewith.

25. A disintegrating apparatus comprisable member and being providedwith an air 7 opening entirely surrounding the shaft. 7

21. A dlsintegrating apparatus comprising concentric spaced rotor andstator surfaces, havlng the perlpheries angularly positioned withrespect to the vertical in cross 7 section, means to direct the materialpassing therethrough outwardly in a collecting chamber, means to drawair to fill the vacuum in the collecting chamber createdby'the introgalforce of the rotor, and means to deflect the material directed outwardlyto the collecting chamber, and downwardly toward the outlet. 7

22. A disintegrating apparatus comprise ing concentric, parallel,angularly extending V 'duction of the material therein by centrifurotorand stator surfaces, having vertical coincident axes, means to introducematerial under a head against the bottom face of the rotor forintroduction between the rotor and stator surfaces, means carried on thetop face of the rotor for directing material passing between the rotor"and stator surfaces outwardly lnto a. collecting chamber com municatingwith an outlet, means to introduce air on the top face of the rotor forfillin the vacuum created in the collecting chaniber by introduction ofthe material therein from the rotor, andmeans to deflect V the materialdirected therein outwardly and downwardly to the outlet.

23. A disintegrating apparatus comprisin g a stator surfacecommunicating with in let and outlet chambers, a rotor operatingadjacent the stator surface, having one face 6X".

posed to the inlet chamber, and means to direct a current of air overthe other face of the rotor to preventcontact of the material iii

